Crossing Paths
by Sharpsnout
Summary: This is the story of how two very different lives cross and intertwine. How friendships can be formed even with just a tiny ray of simularity, how the past and the present collide, and how friendship even in the brink of tragedy is everlasting. Read and R


Disclaimer: I own Levi, Kris, and Nana Liz. Everything else? They are either real people who were aboard the Titanic or are from the movie and therefore do not belong to me, though I would like to add that I am a Titanic buff and was long before the movie came out so the historical facts are as accurate as possible.

Authors note: Ok so let me do some explaining. So yeah, had this idea loooong 'fore the movie came out however it was just two best friends being complete goofballs and play acting, actually we were planning on making it into a movie and even had a video camera and about 6 other kids to play various parts, but it never got any further then the first scene script.

The idea resurfaced then when I first saw the movie, but was never put into words it just kinda floated around my head for a while then I forgot about it until recently, don't ask me why, but this past St. Patties day I got the random urge to watch Titanic don't know why…(I think it had something to do with me being in a total Celtic mood that day an' therefore was listening to anything Celtic and just happened to pop in the Back to Titanic CD to listen to the Irish party in Third Class track), anyways so me an' one of my best friends sat down together and watched the entire movie…took us almost 5 hours to watch the entire thing partly 'cause we kept getting interrupted by random events (dinner, work…etc) anyways so after watching the movie the idea popped back into my head and since I had nothing else to do that night was able to sit down and actually write the fic. Its not EXACTLY the same as it was when I FIRST thought of it when I was younger, and it's a little different then the original movie fic I had first thought of, basically I combined the two to make the story work.

Which brings me to the movie characters that are in here, yes most of the movie cast is in here, Jack, Rose, Cal MIGHT be in this haven't figured that out, uh…Fabrizio, Cora Cartmell and her father whose name apparently was Bert, Spicer Lovejoy, basically you get the picture, the reason for them being in here is because well one it really would work without some of these characters Jack and the Cartmell's for instance, they are a nesicarry for the story to work.

So now that, that spewells over with, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this story hopefully it doesn't ruin your image of Titanic to much. So sit back and enjoy and I'll see you at the end of the chapter.

_**Crossing Paths**_

_We travel many different paths throughout our lives no matter how short they may be. And along those paths we travel we cross other peoples paths and though we may not realize it at the time those whose paths we cross become engraved within our memories forever and those we meet once we will certainly meet again along a different path and they shall become near and dear to our hearts as we remember them always and will be reunited with them when our journey is finally over._

April 11th 1996,Bourne,Massachusetts,

12 year old, Kris loved sitting with her great-grandmother and hearing her stories of her childhood. Her great-grandmother was nearly 100 so she had seen a lot of the things that Kris was interested in, World War One, the Roaring 20s, the Depression, World War Two, she loved learning about it all and her great-grandmother, who she called Nana Liz, loved every minute of telling it. They would sit together for hours drinking tea (soda in Kris's case) reliving the past. Nana was so descriptive, that Kris always felt like she was present at the time periods. When Nana spoke of the Roaring Twenties, Kris could hear the music, feel the dancing, and picture the Speakeasies hidden away in people's houses. Her favorite story was that of her great-grandfathers own a speakeasy located in what is now the lower business district of Boston and how he managed to keep it unknown from the authorities nearly getting arrested countless times.

This particular day, Kris went upstairs to her Nana's room carrying a tray with a cup of tea, a can of soda, and some Italian cookies that her and her nana adored. Inside her grandmother was sitting in her chair with a shoe box near her feet.

"What's in the box Nana?" she asked putting the tray down on the card table, where sometimes her and Nana would work on puzzles, though Kris couldn't remember the last puzzle they had actually completed. Every week there would be a new puzzle whether the previous one was complete or not.

"Oh just photos, some of these are as old as I am," Liz said with a smile "and some believe it or not sweetie are older then me."

"May I look?" Kris asked

"Of course, I don't know what's in there though, I haven't looked through them in years," Kris planted herself on the floor and began shifting through the old photographs. Nana had been right some of these had to be older then her, but they were in perfect condition, at least some of them some obviously had survived very well.

One semi-faded photographs caught her attention right away, the photo was dated 1912, it was of a boy eleven maybe twelve years old, wearing very baggy corduroy pants that looked a few sizes to big for him, held up only by worn looking suspender, what looked like an old white shirt, and a cap that had definitely seen better days. He was grinning shyly at the camera he looked a little nervous about something because he wasn't looking at the camera, but at something else, and one hand was shoved deep in his pockets. Apparently the picture had been taken on a ship; Kris could see the bow of the ship in the distance the wind was blowing the boy's baggy shirt and his free hand was holding onto the hat tightly.

"Nana," She said standing up and walking over to where the old woman sat sipping her tea.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Nana, whose this picture of?" Kris asked carefully handing

"Well let's take a look," she said smiling, when she looked down at the photograph in her hands, she stopped smiling and her face turned into one of sadness, she put a hand to her mouth as she stared at the picture. "Levi…oh my god I haven't thought about him in almost 70 years, I forgotten how handsome he was,"

"Who is he Nana?" Liz sighed and smiled gently at her great-granddaughter

"He was a very good friend, I suppose I had what you would call a crush on him, but he was more then a good friend, he was an eye opener to the world I was living in a world which I had closed my eyes and turned my back to."

"Where was this taken?" Liz's smile widened, she pointed to her scrapbook which lay on a shelf on her bedside table. Kris walked over and picked it up. She handed it to her Nana, who began flipping through it; Kris had looked through the scrapbook hundreds of times, the pictures telling her great-grandmother's life story. When Liz found what she was looking for, she handed the book to Kris and pointed at one picture of a large ship, with four smokestacks. "That's not the Olympic is it Nana?" Liz shook her head

"Look at the ticket in the lower left corner there," Kris did and read the ship name on the ticket: 'White Star Line RMS Titanic.'

"You were on the Titanic!" Kris exclaimed looking up at her nana never knew that, her nana had never mentioned it.

"I was indeed, that is where I met Levi, onboard her."

"What was she like Nana?" Liz paused and looked at the photograph of the colossal ship

"Titanic was the most glorious sight I had ever seen, she towered over the buildings and other ships around her, and she looked as strong as her name a titan, but when I first saw her I was as impressed as I should have perhaps been."

"How come Levi looks so nervous,"

"If I remember correctly it was the first time in his life he had ever gotten his photograph taken. As it was I don't think he was all that comfortable being on the ship anyways."

"How come?"

"I don't think he had ever been onboard a ship before, and it didn't help he was terrified of the ocean, he couldn't swim very well I think and I was convinced he was afraid he was going to fall overboard. Whenever I saw him walking around on deck, he clung to the railing for dear life no matter how many times I tried to reassure him, I don't think it helped any that the friend he was traveling with had saved someone from falling overboard the first night we were on the open ocean, I believe that just made his fears even worse."

"What happened to him, when I showed you the picture you looked sad."

"Well that is a long story," Liz said sipping more tea "I don't suppose you would like to hear it would you?" she smiled at her great-granddaughter, she knew that was a foolish question; Kris would give up Nintendo for a week just to hear one of her Nana's stories.

"Of course Nana,"

"All right then, pull up your chair and hang on to something,"

"Why?"

"Because my little one, we're going back 83 years to the Titanic's first and last voyage." She paused and sipped her tea once more before clearing her throat and looking at Kris, who waited expectantly. "I was your age when I set sail on Titanic, father's business had decided to expand to the United States and he decided we would all go along with him while he oversaw the plans. Believe me honey, I wasn't all that thrilled, we had been to America twice before so to me it was a rather boring trip and I would have preferred to stay at home or even attend boarding school. We were very well off not quite as rich as the Astors, but in truth not very far behind them. The hustle and bustle going on around the ship bored me because I had been through it all before. I didn't even pay attention to father telling me all the advancements Titanic had compared to the other ships we had traveled on. But like I said, it bored me and I just wanted to get the trip over with and return to England as soon as humanly possible. Now Levi was also going to board the ship, however he was going to be boarding her in a different way from me, in an entirely different class. We were different there was no doubt about that, I think the only thing we had in common was neither one of us was happy about being on the Titanic, for different reasons of course, but neither one of us wanted to be onboard, but while I was going for a short trip, Levi was going to a new life what he said was going to be a better one. However while I was boarding the ship and heading towards our quarters, Levi was at a bar and beginning to get very close to missing the entire trip, due to a card game."

* * *

April 11th 1912, Liverpool, England 11:50 

"Jack, she leaves in bloody 10 minutes, we're never goin' to make it we can jus' catch the next one can't we? I'll 'ave 'nough money saved in a week, 'onest the Olympic sails two weeks from Tuesday, what's so special 'bout this ship?"

"No way Levi, these tickets are in the bag, all three of them," The small eleven year old paced behind his friend as they sat in a local pub, every now and then he broke his continuing pacing to glance up at the clock, then to the ship that loomed in the distance, the ship was going to leave without them whether they had tickets or not hell the only way they would hold that bloody ship was if they were apart of the royal family themselves, even then they'd probably ask to see tickets. "Don't worry it'll be fine,"

Levi couldn't understand why Jack insisted on gambling for these particular tickets, when the boy could easily pickpocket enough money by the end of the week for them to take another ship, what was so special 'bout the Titanic. But then again, a lot about his American friend confused Levi. But Jack was more then a friend to Levi, he was the older brother the boy had never had and Jack had sworn that the only way he would leave England was if Levi was on the ship with him and they'd go to America together them and his friend Fabrizio.

"What do you mean all three of them? I bet two and two tickets tis all you're getting,"

"Three!" Jack said loudly "you said there was three

"Two," Levi saw where this was going, even if Jack won he was only getting two tickets, now it was time for Jack's plan to set aside and for Levi's to take action "there aint no three" Levi knelt down next to Jack and pulled him down to his level

"Lev don't worry,"

"Look Jack, you got the tickets in the bag you said it yerself, 'ere's what I'm goin' to do, I' figure out me own way onto the ship, an' I'll meet you on board,"

"Are you out of your mind, your actually going to-"

"Not so loud, I'll be fine, 'ow do you think I got from Scotland 'ere to England in a three days time? I stowed 'way on the train, this is no different," Jack looked ready to protest, but before he could Levi stood up "I'll see you there…'member she leaves in 10 minutes," he looked at the clock "7, and if I don't see you on that bloody ship I'll find a way to come back 'ere to kick yer arse," and with that he picked up his bag and was gone before Jack or Fabrizio could stop him.

Levi ran as fast as he could through the streets of Liverpool, dodging people walking as slow as could be and the random automobile that nearly ran him down as he crossed the cobblestone. He could see the Titanic looming in the distance and could see instantly why Jack wanted to take this particular ship; he stopped dead in his tracks and nearly got rundown by a large draft horse.

He dodged out of the way and stared up at her; she was magnificent, the largest ship he had ever seen in his life a great deal more impressive then any other ship he had seen. Her four smoke stakes loomed over the surrounding buildings casting a shadow over them. Getting closer to the hustle Levi looked around trying to stake out the perfect way to get on board. He knew the risks and knew what would happen to him if he got caught the punishment he would face. Taking these thoughts into consideration, he took care to keep watch around him as passengers made their way up the planks, as luggage was lifted onboard, and as stewards checked people's tickets.

"They ready then sir?"

"Yes, two minutes time,"

"She even gets a scratch on her he'll have our heads so be careful!" Levi looked around to see what the crew was talking about, then he saw it, a shiny red automobile a Renault, instantly he knew who that belonged to, everyone knew about its taking the voyage to America on the Titanic, it had been in all the papers, being shouted out by newsboys. A man by the name of William Carter had purchased it in France and was bringing it home to America.

"Perfect" he muttered, no one was watching at least Levi didn't see anyone watching. He swallowed nervously and fixed his cap so it sat low on his face. He was just about to climb in the back storage compartment when a voice rang out. Levi jumped and winced realizing he had been caught. He quickly stepped back allowing his bag to inconspicuously drop into the compartment.

"Here you lad whatcha doin near there, get back." Quickly Levi came up with a lie.

"Sorry I was sent to oversee its loadin' for Mr. Carter 'e told me 'e wanted to make sure no 'arm came to it," he said forcefully "I don't feel like losin' me job or me ticket to 'merica fer that matter so if you'll let me get on with me job I'll let you get on with yer's"

"You work for Mr. Carter then?"

"Aye,"

"And he sent you to watch the motor car is that right?"

"Aye,"

"Why you?"

"'Cause me good friend," Levi said sarcastically "I'm to small to carry 'is bleedin' luggage and small 'nough to stay with the automobile while it's loaded on board 'prently,"

"You're actually going to ride in it?"

"'ell no you idiot, jus' goin' to watch 'er make sure she gets on board, I 'ate 'eights, you wouldn't catch me dead ridin' in that bloody box that 'igh up. I was jus' tol' to ride in it, don't care if that cos' me, me job you aint getting' me in that while it's that 'igh up, no way in 'ell." the steward looked about to answer, when suddenly a fight broke out between two men quarreling over who the ticket they had actually belonged to.

"You wait here," he said and ran over there, with all the onlookers looking at the fight, no one noticed Levi slip into the back compartment.

"All right take her away!" he heard someone shout and he felt the automobile shake and shudder as it was lifted off the ground. Levi felt his heart quicken, he hated enclosed spaces and he hated heights and the fact that he was facing two of his fears at the same time, while being loaded onto another made it even worse.

He clutched at his silver cross that hung around his neck and prayed under his breath. Heights, enclosed spaces, and the deep body of water types; those were three things that he hated, water for one reason being he couldn't swim very well, Jack promised him when they reached America, he'd take Levi to the beach and teach him to swim, but his lack of swimming abilities was part of the reason he was reluctant to leave England, he of course wanted out as well as Jack, but getting over his fear was taking a lot of nerve.

"Our father, who art in 'eaven 'allowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thine will be done, on earth as it is in 'eaven, give us this day our daily bread, and fergive us our trespasses, as we fergive those who trespass 'gainst us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, in the name of the father, the son, and the 'oly ghos'." When he finally felt the automobile land on solid ground, Levi stopped praying. He held his breath listening to the voices nearby.

"Everything looks to be in order,"

"Glad it made it through all right; Mr. Carter was worried it wouldn't take to the air very well. So I suppose she's not meant for flying,"

"Ah, a flying machine then…what an extraordinary thought."

"They say it's possible, I heard that the two gentlemen in Carolina who managed to get a man in the air on some sort of glider, actually managed to get it to stay in the air on a powered glider of some sorts, for 39 minutes, the age of flying is upon us it wont be long before ships such as Titanic wont be the fastest means of travel between continents," Levi rolled his eyes and tried not to groan, flying that's just what he needed first traveling on water soon traveling in the air, would his nightmare ever end? What was next sailin' beneath the water? _Oh bloody 'ell I 'ope to god I'm dead an' buried 'fore they ever start usin' flyin' to travel_ he said to himself.

"It's all poppycock, men flying? Ridicules thought, I'm sure it was all a hoax. Why this ship will sooner sink before men fly." Levi heard the two men laugh and walk off, he then heard a loud bang as a steel door shut tight.

Listening carefully for more voices, he let out a slow breath, before lifting the compartment lid off and peering out. He was in the hold of the ship, surrounded by boxes and luggage of all sorts. He carefully lifted himself out of the compartment and landed quietly on the floor; then he reached back inside and grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder.

"I did it…" he said softly unable to believe it himself, he had actually snuck a board the Titanic. "'oly bleedin' Chris' I really did it," Levi jumped up in the air with happiness, but then stopped realizing how bloody big the ship was and how he didn't know exactly where he was or where Jack and Fabrizio where…or even worse IF they had even gotten on the ship at all. If they hadn't made it onboard, what was he going to do? "Now fer the lates' question 'ow in the bleedin' 'ell am I goin' to get out of 'ere," he muttered to himself. He walked around the luggage for second or two, before he spotted a door; he walked over to it and looked at the sign. Now reading wasn't Levi's strong suit, numbers he could do just fine in fact he could solve complex math problems in his head very quickly and he picked up languages with no problem, and understanding words he learned also no problem. But actually reading the words, that's where his problems were. "Cre…Crew's Qu…Quarters…." He said slowly. "All righ' sounds good to me," he pushed the door open and looked down the long empty hallway.

"We're launching in one minute!" he heard someone shout, fearing he was about to be caught, Levi took off at a full run, unsure where he was going.

Running down hall ways and upstairs, somehow he wasn't exactly sure how, he managed to reach the decks. Hundreds of people lined the deck waving farewell to the onlookers on the docks. He pushed his way through the crowd and reached the railing. He had been hoping he hadn't missed the launching; he had wanted to give his own farewell to England and to Scotland. He grinned wide and stood on the railing next to him people shouted and yelled out goodbyes. He had his own goodbye to the land that had taken his parents and his little sister and had destroyed his home.

"FAREWELL ENGLAND YOU CAN KISS ME SCOTTISH ARSE YOU BLOODY BASTARD!" A gentleman next to him shot him a glare

"Watch your mouth you little heathen," he said, Levi grinned wide and turned to the gentleman.

"You can kiss it as well sir!" he said as polite as could be and ran off down the deck to a new spot, in this new spot he stood leaning against the railing watching as the ship moved away from the docks. Suddenly he heard shouts and looked, another ship had broken its moors and was headed right for the Titanic, "bloody 'ell," he muttered and watched as the other ship missed came along side the Titanic and them by mere feet. Only a few others seemed to have noticed the near collision and Levi took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves, "I really 'ate boats I 'ate water, bloody 'ell…" he muttered.

It didn't take long for the railings to clear as people began to make their way to their cabins and decks. Levi didn't move he stayed rooted in his spot watching that ship that had nearly collided with them. He wasn't sure if he would feel better once they were on the open ocean or worse. He knew however, he should probably head inside and try to find Jack and Fabrizio, wherever they were.

"Levi?" he heard someone say his name, he quickly turned around, it was Jack "I can't believe you did it!" Jack ran up to Levi, picked him up and hugged him surprising the boy for a moment. "I wish you wouldn't do that to me,"

"Tol' ya I'd fine me own way," he grinned wide "you weren't worried 'bout me were you Jack?"

"What do you think?" Levi stopped grinning and looked at Jack with surprise

"Wait you really were?"

"Course, I've told you you're like my little brother,"

"Thanks Jack,"

"Anytime," he paused "so don't do that to me again ok?"

"All right…but I did tell you I'd be fine,"

"Sorry I doubted you pal,"

"Yer fergiven,"

"How'd you do it?" Fabrizio said emphasizing his thick Italian accent

"I flew," he said with a grin,

"Flew?" Jack said as they walked along the deck

"Aye, I flew,"

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I'll tell you when me feet are on dry land, and there's no chance of me getting' tossed overboard fer it, but I aint lyin' when I said I flew."

"All right," Jack said putting his arm around Levi's small shoulders "come on lets go check out our fine accommodations."

Levi grinned and as he followed Jack and Fabrizio through the steel door, he shot one last glance at the now tiny speck that was the other ship; he had a pit in his stomach, a deep foreboding feeling that something was going to go wrong and the near collision they had just had was foretelling of things to come. Why all of a sudden as he stood in the doorway looking out at the ocean as the ship steamed its way towards Ireland, why then did he have a sinking feeling that his feet would never touch dry land again.

* * *

Sooooo good? Bad? Needs work? 

Oh, for those of you who don't know there really was a ship that nearly took out the Titanic 'fore she had even left Liverpool, it was a ship called the New York, when Titanic's propellers began spinning, the force underwater was so strong that it broke the lines holding the New York and pulled it right to the Titanic, coming just within feet of her. So when people said Titanic was doomed from the start, that's just one of the many things they are referring to.

Anyways, uh lets see, I have a feeling that this issue is going to come up so I'll just say my piece now, the whole stowing away on the Titanic and not getting caught, I admit it's a pretty fictional thought, but I have heard reports that it was believed there was a stowaway onboard the Titanic, though it was never proven so no one knows if its true or not, but even though it doesn't seem possible who really knows only time will tell what's going to happen or what did happen…

So you all know the drill please review, flames are not welcome however Constructive Criticism is always welcome, the next chapter hopefully will be up soon cant guarantee an exact date and time, but soon. So till next time

(bows)

Sharpsnout


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